*Every* dept in a company thinks that their expertise is vital and they should be be "treated as a peer" in every decision. But when there is a simple problem with my paycheck and I call HR about it, I expect them to either fix the problem or at least tell me why they can't. I don't expect them to demand a meeting with my department to discuss the big picture issue of "pay" and how they can be intimately involved in all of our department projects in the future. If it's a major project and IT will be playing a major role, I have no problem with bringing them in from the get-go and asking for their input. But when I just need something simple, it is very much just a customer/provider relationship. Most of the time I just need them to either perform a simple task or explain why they can't.
Thanks to the 1976 Copyright Act, the Bono Copyright Extension Act, Stewart v. Abend, etc. it's a trivial matter to recapture copyright on works previously thrown into the public domain by earlier laws (as long as they were made after 1923). Remember when "It's a Wonderful Life" was in the public domain and you used to see it broadcast ad nauseum at Christmas? Well, the second it started making big money, Republic Pictures reclaimed the copyright and now it's only broadcast once a year on NBC.
Unless those television shows were made before 1923, they're NOT in the public domain. Last time I checked CBS is still around and still very much owns the copyright. And, with Disney controlling Congress like animatronic puppets, and with CBS not going anywhere, it's likely they're going to stay that way for a very long time.
It's a good feeling isn't it? I recently had a toilet installed that uses 1/3 less water than my original. And even though I have to take the time now to flush twice instead of once to get it to work, it's worth the extra time to know that I'm helping the environment.
I actually went and read the article (I know as a/.er, I'm not supposed to, and I apologize). The whole thing sounds like a cheap excuse for providing even LESS customer service than IT departments deliver already (and most IT depts I've worked with have already been FAR from customer-friendly). When I'm working on an important project, and need a critical piece of software or hardware upgrade, I certainly don't expect IT to drop everything and come running immediately. But I damn sure don't expect them to tell me "Sorry, but we don't answer to you as an individual anymore--we have our own grand plan now and, if you want an upgrade, you'll have to present the big picture at next year's board meeting. We don't install specifics."
Any DVD enthusiast who remembers the notorious first release of the "THX certified" Highlander DVD can attest to the fact that a THX label means jack-squat to anyone but a complete sucker.
This issue has been discussed on/. many times before. Mozilla needs a sponsor. Their revenues are the only thing that lets them stand out from most of the rest of the OSS crowd as a truly professional piece of software. Lose those revenues and it will eventually deteriorate into yet another lame piece of poorly-documented, poorly-maintained piece of abandonware on SourceForge. So, what options does Mozilla have? Well, they could stay with Google or they could defect to Yahoo or Bing. But MS is even more of a browser competitor than Google. And Yahoo isn't in a financial position to be sponsoring anyone right now. Sure, you could maybe come up with some other more complicated solutions, but $66 million worth? Not many companies, or even groups of companies, have that kind of money to throw around for a little advertisement. There just aren't a lot of alternatives.
So, SHOULD they break away from Google? Probably. CAN they break away from them (and maintain their quality)? Probably not. So, like a bad marriage of convenience, Mozilla is probably stuck with Google until the day (possibly) comes when Google themselves decide to break it off.
Am I the only one who thinks all these motion controllers are a passing fad that we will one day look back on and laugh about? All the console makers seem to be jumping onboard, but it just makes my arms tired.
We know primates exist and evolved under a given set of circumstances. We have good evidence that the set of circumstances that gave rise to human primates also produced other intelligent primates such as the Neanderthal. It is therefore entirely logical to deduce with some probability that other intelligent primates may exist somewhere on earth.
We have absolutely no evidence to support the idea that aliens exist or have existed under any set of circumstances. Any evidence presented so far has been debunked as a hoax.
Assuming something exists based on the fact that the circumstances that would give rise to are known to exist is not at all the same as assuming something exists when there's no evidence to support its existence. Then again, you've just proved the existence of *unintelligent* primates.
One of the articles mentioned that the break-ins also involved theft of Google IP and trade secrets. I suspect *that* was what prompted them to finally act way more than any email theft. Google has always been happy to bend over for the Chinese and cooperate with their rights abuses in the past. But they second the Chinese government actually threatened Google's long-term profits--watch out!
Actually, I would be thrilled at finding life (and happy to be proven wrong). My point is that people shouldn't get their hopes up (especially in light of the very unprofessional and irresponsible hype from David McKay) and that resources spent on such a search will likely be a waste at the end of the day. It's all well to dream, as long as you realize it's still only a dream, not reality.
Yes, you *could* say it that way, in that same way you could also point out that we don't have clear proof that unicorns and leprechauns *DON'T* exist.
No, I'm telling you that intelligent, coincidental, perceptible alien life must be pretty damn rare. And the distances involved would be so vast that even finding them (much less communicating with them) is probably out of the question. Is it out there *somewhere*? Probably. Will we ever see it? Extremely unlikely. "Coincidental" and "perceptible" are probably the trickiest parts of finding intelligent alien life, BTW (humans have only used perceptible radio waves for 100 years out of this planet's four billion year history, for example). So, like I said, for all practical intents and purposes we're all alone in the vast empty. Every other planet in our solar system has so far proven to be more sterile than an operating theater, devoid of even the simplest life.
Well, there *are* those aliens who keep stealing out rednecks for anal probes. But, aside from those guys, no one.
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But my iPhone would probably just drop the call.
*Every* dept in a company thinks that their expertise is vital and they should be be "treated as a peer" in every decision. But when there is a simple problem with my paycheck and I call HR about it, I expect them to either fix the problem or at least tell me why they can't. I don't expect them to demand a meeting with my department to discuss the big picture issue of "pay" and how they can be intimately involved in all of our department projects in the future. If it's a major project and IT will be playing a major role, I have no problem with bringing them in from the get-go and asking for their input. But when I just need something simple, it is very much just a customer/provider relationship. Most of the time I just need them to either perform a simple task or explain why they can't.
Thanks to the 1976 Copyright Act, the Bono Copyright Extension Act, Stewart v. Abend, etc. it's a trivial matter to recapture copyright on works previously thrown into the public domain by earlier laws (as long as they were made after 1923). Remember when "It's a Wonderful Life" was in the public domain and you used to see it broadcast ad nauseum at Christmas? Well, the second it started making big money, Republic Pictures reclaimed the copyright and now it's only broadcast once a year on NBC.
That hasn't been the case in the U.S. since 1976. And I'm pretty sure the Jack Benny Program was made in the U.S.
Unless those television shows were made before 1923, they're NOT in the public domain. Last time I checked CBS is still around and still very much owns the copyright. And, with Disney controlling Congress like animatronic puppets, and with CBS not going anywhere, it's likely they're going to stay that way for a very long time.
It's a good feeling isn't it? I recently had a toilet installed that uses 1/3 less water than my original. And even though I have to take the time now to flush twice instead of once to get it to work, it's worth the extra time to know that I'm helping the environment.
Try growing up in a hick town where you're the only D&D fan. Then you won't romanticize it so much. At least the CRPG's gave me someone to play with.
Which was itself pre-dated by William Higinbotham's "Tennis for Two" in 1958.
I actually went and read the article (I know as a /.er, I'm not supposed to, and I apologize). The whole thing sounds like a cheap excuse for providing even LESS customer service than IT departments deliver already (and most IT depts I've worked with have already been FAR from customer-friendly). When I'm working on an important project, and need a critical piece of software or hardware upgrade, I certainly don't expect IT to drop everything and come running immediately. But I damn sure don't expect them to tell me "Sorry, but we don't answer to you as an individual anymore--we have our own grand plan now and, if you want an upgrade, you'll have to present the big picture at next year's board meeting. We don't install specifics."
Any DVD enthusiast who remembers the notorious first release of the "THX certified" Highlander DVD can attest to the fact that a THX label means jack-squat to anyone but a complete sucker.
This issue has been discussed on /. many times before. Mozilla needs a sponsor. Their revenues are the only thing that lets them stand out from most of the rest of the OSS crowd as a truly professional piece of software. Lose those revenues and it will eventually deteriorate into yet another lame piece of poorly-documented, poorly-maintained piece of abandonware on SourceForge. So, what options does Mozilla have? Well, they could stay with Google or they could defect to Yahoo or Bing. But MS is even more of a browser competitor than Google. And Yahoo isn't in a financial position to be sponsoring anyone right now. Sure, you could maybe come up with some other more complicated solutions, but $66 million worth? Not many companies, or even groups of companies, have that kind of money to throw around for a little advertisement. There just aren't a lot of alternatives.
So, SHOULD they break away from Google? Probably. CAN they break away from them (and maintain their quality)? Probably not. So, like a bad marriage of convenience, Mozilla is probably stuck with Google until the day (possibly) comes when Google themselves decide to break it off.
I would same the same of Microsoft.
Don't try to change me, woman!
Bah, next you'll be telling me that the Segway didn't revolutionize the way we walk around.
Like those fools who said Virtual Reality gaming was just a 90's fad?
Am I the only one who thinks all these motion controllers are a passing fad that we will one day look back on and laugh about? All the console makers seem to be jumping onboard, but it just makes my arms tired.
The same thing we do every night, Pinky.
We know primates exist and evolved under a given set of circumstances. We have good evidence that the set of circumstances that gave rise to human primates also produced other intelligent primates such as the Neanderthal. It is therefore entirely logical to deduce with some probability that other intelligent primates may exist somewhere on earth.
We have absolutely no evidence to support the idea that aliens exist or have existed under any set of circumstances. Any evidence presented so far has been debunked as a hoax.
Assuming something exists based on the fact that the circumstances that would give rise to are known to exist is not at all the same as assuming something exists when there's no evidence to support its existence. Then again, you've just proved the existence of *unintelligent* primates.
Of course, but I count that one as a separate species from the regular unicorn.
We also have horses too, and numerous stories of magical ones with horns. That's way more evidence than we have of any alien life.
Until you have proof that Bigfoot _ISN'T_ real, it is _YOU_ who are wishfully thinking.
One of the articles mentioned that the break-ins also involved theft of Google IP and trade secrets. I suspect *that* was what prompted them to finally act way more than any email theft. Google has always been happy to bend over for the Chinese and cooperate with their rights abuses in the past. But they second the Chinese government actually threatened Google's long-term profits--watch out!
Actually, I would be thrilled at finding life (and happy to be proven wrong). My point is that people shouldn't get their hopes up (especially in light of the very unprofessional and irresponsible hype from David McKay) and that resources spent on such a search will likely be a waste at the end of the day. It's all well to dream, as long as you realize it's still only a dream, not reality.
Yes, you *could* say it that way, in that same way you could also point out that we don't have clear proof that unicorns and leprechauns *DON'T* exist.
No, I'm telling you that intelligent, coincidental, perceptible alien life must be pretty damn rare. And the distances involved would be so vast that even finding them (much less communicating with them) is probably out of the question. Is it out there *somewhere*? Probably. Will we ever see it? Extremely unlikely. "Coincidental" and "perceptible" are probably the trickiest parts of finding intelligent alien life, BTW (humans have only used perceptible radio waves for 100 years out of this planet's four billion year history, for example). So, like I said, for all practical intents and purposes we're all alone in the vast empty. Every other planet in our solar system has so far proven to be more sterile than an operating theater, devoid of even the simplest life.
Well, there *are* those aliens who keep stealing out rednecks for anal probes. But, aside from those guys, no one.